Old City Sanctuary reads POA
by GeePops
Summary: When Dumbledore requests the help of Helen and the team, they must catch up with what's been happening in the Wizarding world.
1. Prologue

Old City Sanctuary reads Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 1- Prologue

**A/N – I thought it would be good to write about some people who don't know anything about Harry and Co to read the books so...enjoy. I own nothing, everything belongs to the creators of Sanctuary (Damain Kindler?) and J.K Rowling.**

Helen opened one eye. Sunlight filtered through the curtains of her bedroom. She lifted her head slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It was July 5th 1995 and of course she was tired after last nights celebration in the town for independence day. She grumbled loudly as she walked sleepily down the corridor. 'Mum.' She turned to see her daughter Ashley running towards her. 'Hi Ashley.' They walked side by side into the lift. 'Henry, Will, Kate, Biggie, Tesla and Uncle James are downstairs.' Helen looked at her daughter suspiciously. 'Normally, none of them get along...at all.'

Ashley grinned. 'There's a letter from someone called Albus Dumbledore.' Helen stood in shock as the lift stopped. 'Albus Dumbledore?' Ashley nodded and ran to stand by Henry who was smiling happily at Helen. 'Hey Doc.' She smiled. 'Now where is this letter?' James handed her the letter. She read it aloud.

_Dear Helen Magnus,_

_I hope you remember me from our meeting in 1915. As do I hope you remember me informing you after you friend's death of a Dark wizard named Lord Voldemort. He was vanquished but has unfortunately been resurrected just two weeks ago. Your team I believe, has many powers which could aid us in destroying him. If you could kindly meet me on September 1st at Luton Airport. To prepare you for your mission with us, I would like you to read these to books. These take place from July 1st 1993 to June 30th 1994 and July 1st 1994 to June 30th 1995._

_Please explain to your friends that my world does exist and that this has actually happened. _

_I hope to see you on the 1st of September,_

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore_

James cocked his eyebrow. 'His world? What does he mean?' Helen smirked. 'You see, Albus Dumbledore is a wizard.' They stared at her. 'After Nigel's death he told me about a wizard who wanted to take over his world.' Nikola snorted. 'And you met this man...how?' Helen smiled. 'In 1965, I got a lead to a possible case of a werewolf sighting.' Henry raised an eyebrow. 'Not a HAP but a werewolf that changes on a full moon.' They all sighed. 'Werewolves are seen as nuisances and aren't allowed jobs, rights, an education and other things.'

Henry looked annoyed. 'However, when I got there, I found out that the werewolf had actually bitten a five year old and scampered.' She smiled sadly. 'The little boy's parents were devastated. They took him to the hospital leaving me with Mr Dumbledore.' She sighed unhappily. 'I don't know what happened to the boy, most children bitten by werewolves don't survive up until their 10th birthday.' Will put a hand on her shoulder. 'What was his name?' She smiled. 'I don't know but he had bright blue eyes, like...blue topaz.' She shook her head. 'We'd better start reading these books.' She looked around. 'Where are the books?' They all shrugged. Then, a bright light appeared and two paperbacks fell at her feet. 'I think we should read this one first.' They all walked towards the study and settled down. 'Could someone read the blurb?' Kate pulled the book out of Biggie's hand.

**Harry Potter, along with his friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is ****tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school.**

'Sounds slightly dangerous for a thirteen year old.' James laughed. 'Hogwarts?' Kate nodded before turning the first page. 'The first chapter is called **Owl Post**.'

**A/N- The characters are a bit OOC. I now understand how hard it is to make a scenario. Read and Review please.**


	2. Owl Post

Old City Sanctuary Reads POA

Owl Post

**A/N- I don't own Harry Potter or Sanctuary. This is going to be updated as much as it can but my courses are getting more demanding so...The words in bold are J.K Rowling's work. Thanks to ****hermiony** **for adding this to her favourites. **

_**'**This first chapter is called **Owl Post.' **Kate said._

**Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard. **

They all looked at each other, thinking about it. Why does he hate the summer? Thought Ashley as Kate started to read again.

**It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, "Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless discuss." **

Nikola laughed. 'How was it useless!? They would burn to cinders.'

**The quill paused at the top of a likely-looking paragraph. Harry Pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read:**

**Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty seven times in various disguises.**

Everyone looked slightly baffled. 'Well...that's a useful charm,' spluttered Will as Helen stared at the book. 'Let's just carried on.' Kate continued.

**Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his ink bottle and a roll of parchment. Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the ink bottle, dipped his quill into it, and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen, because if any of the Dursleys heard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer. **

'Locked in the cupboard! What kind of parent locks their child in the cupboard?' Helen was on her feet during her outburst. 'Helen,' James started, 'I don't think they're his parents. He called them by their last name.' Henry cocked an eyebrow. 'Why would he not be with his parents?' They all shrugged and Helen sat down, Nikola pulling her towards him, much to her disgust.

**The Dursley family of number four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives. They were Muggles, **

'What are Muggles?' Helen looked at her daughter. 'I think they're are people like us.' Big Guy frowned. 'Abnormals?' Helen shook her head. 'No, people who can't do magic.' James looked slightly offended.

**and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic. Harry's dead parents, who had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never mentioned under the Dursleys' roof.**

'What's so wrong with his parents being able to from a magical background?' Helen turned to Nikola and sighed. 'Did you not listen to the whole sentence?' He shook his head. 'Idiot.' Helen grumbled under her breath.

**For years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of him. **

'You can squish the magic out of someone?' James shook his head. 'That sounds dangerous though.'

**To their fury, they had been unsuccessful. These days they lived in terror of anyone finding out that Harry had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The most they could do, however, was to lock away Harry's spellbooks, wand, cauldron, and broomstick at the start of the summer break, and forbid him to talk to the neighbors. **

'Magic schools are boarding schools?' Helen nodded. 'By the sounds of it, yes they are.' Henry and Ashley frowned. 'Won't he need his school books to do work?' Nikola nodded and grinned. 'Great skills of deduction, you're catching up with James' skills.' James hit him with a cushion.

**This separation from his spellbooks had been a real problem for Harry, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions, was for Harry's least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, who would be delighted to have an excuse to give Harry detention for a month. Harry had therefore seized his chance in the first week of the holidays. While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley had gone out into the front garden to admire Uncle Vernon's new company car (in very loud voices, so that the rest of the street would notice it too), Harry had crept downstairs, picked the lock on the cupboard under the stairs, grabbed some of his books, and hidden them in his bedroom. As long as he didn't leave spots of ink on the sheets, the Dursleys need never know that he was studying magic by night. **

James went to comment but Kate cut him off. 'If anyone interrupts for no good reason, I will personally set the Nubbins loose.' Everyone shrunk back into their seats.

**Harry was particularly keen to avoid trouble with his aunt and uncle at the moment, as they were already in an especially bad mood with him, all because he'd received a telephone call from a fellow wizard one week into the school vacation.**

**Ron Weasley, who was one of Harry's best friends at Hogwarts, came from a whole family of wizards. This meant that he knew a lot of things Harry didn't, but had never used a telephone before. Most unluckily, it had been Uncle Vernon who had answered the call.**

'Oh no,' said Kate. 'Hypocrite,' Ashley whispered under her breath.

**"Vernon Dursley speaking."**

**Harry, who happened to be in the room at the time, froze as he heard Ron's voice answer.**

**"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I - WANT - TO - TALK - TO - HARRY - POTTER!"**

**Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear, staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm.**

**"WHO IS THIS?" he roared in the direction of the mouthpiece. "WHO ARE YOU?"**

**"RON - WEASLEY!" Ron bellowed back, as though he and Uncle Vernon were speaking from opposite ends of a football field. "I'M - A - FRIEND - OF - HARRY'S - FROM - SCHOOL -"**

**Uncle Vernon's small eyes swiveled around to Harry, who was rooted to the spot.**

**"THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE!" he roared, now holding the receiver at arm's length, as though frightened it might explode. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOURE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"**

**And he threw the receiver back onto the telephone as if dropping a poisonous spider.**

'Well, that went well,' Nikola said sarcastically, earning himself a glare off Kate.

**The fight that had followed had been one of the worst ever.**

**"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE - PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Uncle Vernon had roared, spraying Harry with spit.**

**Ron obviously realized that he'd gotten Harry into trouble, because he hadn't called again. Harry's other best friend from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, hadn't been in touch either. Harry suspected that Ron had warned Hermione not to call, which was a pity, because Hermione, the cleverest witch in Harry's year, had Muggle parents, knew perfectly well how to use a telephone, and would probably have had enough sense not to say that she went to Hogwarts.**

**So Harry had had no word from any of his wizarding friends for five long weeks, and this summer was turning out to be almost as bad as the last one. There was just one very small improvement - after swearing that he wouldn't use her to send letters to any of his friends, Harry had been allowed to let his owl, Hedwig, out at night. Uncle Vernon had given in because of the racket Hedwig made if she was locked in her cage all the time.**

'The poor owl,' said the Big Guy. Helen just rolled her eyes fondly. 'This is confusing. How can your parents be Muggle but you be a witch?' A note appeared at the bottom of the page.

_Muggle-bornis the term given to a witch or wizard who is born to two non-magical parents. _

They all sighed in realisation.

**Harry finished writing about Wendelin the Weird and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of his enormous cousin, Dudley. It must be very late, Harry thought. His eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps he'd finish this essay tomorrow night...**

**He replaced the top of the ink bottle; pulled an old pillowcase from under his bed; put the flashlight, A History of Magic, his essay, quill, and ink inside it; got out of bed; and hid the lot under a loose floorboard under his bed. Then he stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on his bedside table.**

**It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour. **

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' shouted Will, Kate, Ashley and Henry, causing Helen to smile.

**Yet another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays. He had never received a birthday card in his life. The Dursleys had completely ignored his last two birthdays, and he had no reason to suppose they would remember this one. **

'Evil litte ba-' Ashley cut her sentence short as her mother sent her a stern look.

**Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig's large, empty cage, to the open window. He leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets. Hedwig had been absent for two nights now. Harry wasn't worried about her: she'd been gone this long before. But he hoped she'd be back soon - she was the only living creature in this house who didn't flinch at the sight of him.**

**Harry, though still rather small and skinny for his age, had grown a few inches over the last year. His jet-black hair, however, was just as it always had been - stubbornly untidy, whatever he did to it. The eyes behind his glasses were bright green, and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

'A scar in the shape of a lightning bolt?' Nikola nodded. 'That's what Freelander said Jamie.'

**Of all the unusual things about Harry, this scar was the most extraordinary of all. It was not, as the Dursleys had pretended for ten years, a souvenir of the car crash that had killed Harry's parents, because Lily and James Potter had not died in a car crash. They had been murdered, murdered by the most feared Dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort. Harry had escaped from the same attack with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, where Voldemort's curse, instead of killing him, had rebounded upon its originator. Barely alive, Voldemort had fled... **

'Isn't Voldemort the one they want us to help fight?' Helen looked at Will before sighing. 'Yes.'

'They told him it was a car crash!' Henry looked furious. 'That's just an insult to their memory!'

**But Harry had come face-to-face with him at Hogwarts. Remembering their last meeting as he stood at the dark window, Harry had to admit he was lucky even to have reached his thirteenth birthday. **

'Again, this Hogwarts place seems dangerous.' Kate glared at James. 'Let me read.'

**He scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig, perhaps soaring**

**back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise. Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realized what he was seeing.**

**Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside.**

'What is it?'

_You will find out soon enough_

'Okay, so it answers our questions that it makes. Brilliant.'

**Through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.**

'Oh it's just some owls.' Big Guy looked annoyed. 'That poor owl sounds tired.' Nikola face palmed while the others laughed at their friends sympathy.

**Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once - his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.**

**Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.**

'I think they have PRESENTS!' Ashley screamed like a little girl about to receive Christmas presents herself.

**Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold, and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out - a letter and a newspaper clipping. **

**The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:**

'I want a magical camera,' said Kate in awe, again going against her own rule.

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE  
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.  
A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."  
The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.  
Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; ****tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.**

'What are Galleons?' Henry asked and once again a message popped up.

_Galleons are the highest value wizarding coin, the second in value being Sickles and the smallest being Knuts._

**Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor. He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.**

'Ahhh...he sounds so sweet for a teenage boy.' Helen looked at Henry as she said this. 'What's that supposed to mean.' Ashley was laughing and whispered something that sounded like 'mood swings'.

**Dear Harry,  
Happy birthday!  
Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.  
It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.  
I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.  
**

**Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the two of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds**

'That can't of been too bad,' started Will,' its not like they attack you.'

**We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?  
Don't let the Muggles get you down!  
****Try and come to London,  
Ron  
P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.  
**

**Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.**

'Ooooh...I'm scared of a boy with a badge on a hat,' whispered Ashley sarcastically.

**Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.**

Harry - this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.  
Bye – Ron

The boys laughed as the women pulled faces.**  
**

**Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.**

They all leaned forward to hear the next bit.

I**nside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.**

Dear Harry,  
Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.  
I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's **going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.  
There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.  
Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!  
Love from  
Hermione  
P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.****  
**

'She seems more...' started Helen but James finished, 'studious?' They all nodded in agreement, Henry and Ashley sharing a look of horror. 'Homework...while your on holiday?' They mouthed to each other grinning.

**Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells - but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.**

'Broomsticks?'

_Wizards use alternative transport to Muggles including flying on broomsticks. _

**"Wow, Hermione!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.**

There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.

Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world - highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Harry happened to be a very good Quidditch player; he had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of Harry's most prized possessions was his Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.

'What's Quidditch?'

_It will be explained later in the book_

'Well, it sounds fun!' shouted Ashley. Will chuckled. 'Yeah, but you like anything that is dangerous.'

**Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly - as though it had jaws.**

Everyone froze in anticipation.

**Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin. **

Helen looked slightly green before grimacing at the look of awe on her daughter's face.

**Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike. Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.  
And out fell - a book. Harry just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.**

'See books are dangerous!' shouted Kate and Henry who both blushed. Ashley cast an evil look at Kate before starting to listen again.

**"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.**

The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Harry followed it stealthily. The book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward it.  


"**Ouch!"  
**

**The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.**

'Ssshh...don't wake them up!' whispered Will who was very submersed in the story.

**Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Harry threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.**

'So that's why you all wore belts at Oxford, so the books didn't eat you.' James and Nikola laughed at Helen's small attempt at a joke though their smiles didn't reach their eyes.

**Dear Harry,  
Happy Birthday!  
Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.  
Hope the Muggles are treating you right.  
All the best,  
Hagrid  
**

**It struck Harry as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but he put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.**

Helen looked at Biggie, thinking about the similarities between her friend and this Hagrid.

**Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:**

Dear Mr. Potter,  
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.  
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.  
A list of books for next year is enclosed.  
Yours sincerely,  
Professor M. McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

**Will looked puzzled. 'Platform 9 and three-quarters?' Another message appeared.**

_The platform is through a barrier between Platform 9 and 10_

**Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there. But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?**

Helen frowned. Shouldn't the boy be allowed to live a little?

**He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.**

Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. Then he took off his glasses and lay down; eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.

Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else - glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday. 

There wasn't a dry eye in the room after the last line. Helen took the book and read,'** Aunt Marge's Big Mistake**

**A/N- Chapter one of the book finally done. It's taken ages to get it all done. Anyway, please Read and Review.  
**


End file.
